On the go and no time to finish that story right now? Your News is the place for you to save content to read later from any device. Register with us and content you save will appear here so you can access them to read later.

Te Tuinga is now working with up to 80 families a week, compared to about 10 a week in previous years.

Housing is the top issue, followed by budgeting, WINZ advances, employment issues, family and domestic violence, immigration and crisis situations.

Ms Russell said the complexity of needs had also increased hugely. In the past, families would have to face only one of these issues, whereas it could now be up to five at a time.

The organisation currently has 14 staff and Government funding for just five.

"We're overworked and under-resourced but we don't stop doing what we do," Ms Russell said.

Being on probation

Probation is when someone is released from prison or is serving a community sentence.

Offenders usually have to follow standard conditions and maybe special extra conditions if they are in the community.

The conditions specify things like where they can or cannot live, how often they must report to their probation officer and, in the case of serious offences, what kind of locations and activities they must avoid.

If an offender doesn't follow the conditions set for them they could be fined, get another sentence or be sent to prison.